Site Mobile Navigation

Manila Journal; People Power 2: A Sleeping Giant Is Awakened

Corazon C. Aquino, former President of the Philippines and champion of the ''people power'' uprising 11 years ago, sat in her car the other day and honked her horn.

Church bells chimed and people stood in windows and doorways shouting and banging on pots and pans in a Philippine ritual of protest called a noise barrage.

And from all around the political landscape in the last few weeks, from churchmen, lawyers and business groups, came the catcalls: ''warlord . . . dictator . . . dark ages . . . selfish and immoral . . . tentacles of evil . . . a mad dog gone berserk.''

Why all the noise?

It appears that President Fidel V. Ramos, a former general known for his complex game plans, has roused the ghosts of dictators past.

Apparently trying to keep opponents off balance and avoid becoming a lame duck, he has allowed his backers to try to change the Constitution and keep him in office after his single six-year term ends next June.

It is a question of fierce debate here whether Mr. Ramos really wants to hold on to the presidency -- as Ferdinand E. Marcos did by declaring martial law in 1972 -- or is simply trying to keep control of the political agenda.

Some political analysts dismiss the idea that Mr. Ramos would seize power through martial law, and the President himself has denied that he would do so.

But whatever his motives, he has succeeded in rousing the nation against him at the end of one of the most successful administrations in Philippine history, a time when the country has just begun to emerge from decades of economic ruin.

He is discovering the high price that Filipinos place on the chief legacy of his predecessor, Mrs. Aquino: the restoration of democracy.

In a region where stability and economic growth are the highest values and where democratic openness tends to take a back seat -- in countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia -- the Philippines stands apart for its dedication to freedom.

''The moment you start talking about extending anybody's term, the Marcos ghost starts to rise,'' said Paulynn Sicam, a newspaper columnist. ''I wrote in my column: 'We'll survive any President, but no President can survive us.' We took Marcos out. We can take out anybody. We know what our power is.''

All around the city, people are reveling in a re-creation of the symbols of their democratic triumph of 1986, when huge crowds supporting a military mutiny blocked tanks and drove Mr. Marcos into exile in Hawaii, where he died in 1989.

They are tying yellow ribbons to trees, lighting candles and throwing buckets of yellow confetti from tall buildings as groups of marchers pass by with signs reading, ''No to Cha-Cha,'' the popular nickname for Charter Change.

''My fear is that the same thing is happening to President Ramos that happened to Mr. Marcos -- that he is beginning to believe that he is indispensable,'' said Rafael Khan, a lawyer, who attended a rally today. ''He must respect the rule of law.''

On Sunday -- the 25th anniversary of Mr. Marcos's declaration of martial law -- Mrs. Aquino and her most powerful ally, Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, plan to hold a mass demonstration on the Luneta parade ground that recalls the brave protests of ''people power.''

''It's exciting all over again,'' said Narzalina Lim, chairwoman of the program committee for the rally. ''So much deja vu.''

In fact, the political situation holds almost no similarity with 1986. One of the leaders of that peaceful uprising, Mr. Ramos has repeatedly demonstrated his allegiance to democracy, first by defending Mrs. Aquino from a half-dozen coup attempts, then with a notably open and consultative style as President.

The chief parallel in the two situations is the miscalculation by Mr. Marcos and Mr. Ramos of the country's political mood. Mr. Marcos seemed to think that Filipinos could be bullied; Mr. Ramos underestimated their fear of dictatorship.

''Why is there a hate campaign against all of us?'' the President asked this month. ''Why have we become demons all of a sudden?''

Mrs. Lim said the rally on Sunday would include at least four of the country's proliferating potential candidates to succeed Mr. Ramos.

Among them will be Vice President Joseph Estrada, who may be most responsible for all of the turmoil over succession. Mr. Estrada is a former movie star who is viewed as Mr. Ramos's most likely successor because of his broad popularity.

His candidacy is dreaded by the political establishment, which sees him as a blustering lightweight incapable of carrying on Mr. Ramos's legacy of economic reforms. A strong motive behind the movement to change the Constitution is a belief that Mr. Ramos is the only person who could beat him.

One of Mr. Estrada's most formidable assets is his off-the-cuff charm. At a recent open forum, a young man told him, ''My mother says she will leave the Philippines if you are elected.''

Mr. Estrada responded with a broad smile. ''Then tell her to start packing!'' he exclaimed.